Apparatus for elevating water



I. K. DE VORE.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING WATER- APPLICATION FILED JULY n. 1918.

1,314,309. Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

ammo/14 601 rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRMII co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES K. DE VORE, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING WATER.

Application filed July 17, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, James K. Du Vonu, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Elevating Water, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for elevating water and is designed specially for use in elevating water for irrigation purposes. The mechanical pumping of water for irrigation purposes, as for example by the use of electrically, gas or steam engine operated pumps has in most cases been found impractical owing to the expense involved in the maintenance of such a pump and the source of power for operating the same. The primary object of the present invention is therefore to provide a water elevating apparatus which may be operated at a low cost and which will be inexpensive to maintain.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a water elevating apparatus which will be entirely automatic in its operation and which will require, for its operation, the generation of steam at a low pressure only, the steam being employed direetlyas the me dium for elevating the water instead of being, as is usual, employed for the purpose of operating a mechanical pump. More specifically the invention contemplates the generation of steam, and its subsequent condensation for the purpose of creating a partial vacuum whereby water will be elevated and trapped and then subsequently discharged from the apparatus through the admission into the apparatus of a further volume of steam.

A further object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the class described which will not only be automatic in its operation, but which will produce a steady flow of water in large volume.

The invention also has as its object to provide, in the apparatus, condensation chambers so constructed as to provide against eondensation of the steam prior to the moment when its condensation will be most effective.

In. the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Serial No. 245,366.

The apparatus embodying the present invention, briefly stated, includes two or more condensation chambers into which steam is admitted and then condensed, a water supply pipe communicating with each chamber, and a water outlet pipe leading from each chamber, the said pipes being so valved as well as the pipe for supplying steam to the said chambers, that steam will be admitted alternately into the chambers from the source of steam supply, and the trapped water likewise alternately discharged from the chambers. In the drawings one of the condensation chambers is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and the other by the numeral 2 and each of these chambers comprises a metallic cylindrical shell 3 closed at its upper and lower ends, which ends are indicated respectively by the numerals 1 and 5, and provided with a lining (3 of wood or other suitable non-conducting material. The numeral 7 indicates a pipe which leads downwardly into the well from which the water is to be elevated, and this pipe is provided at its upper end with branches 8 and 9 which lead respectively to the condensation chambers 1 and 2, the branches entering the said chambers through the bottoms 5 thereof. Valve casings 10 are located in the branches 8 and 9 prefeably adjacent the point of communication of the branches with the re spective condensation chambers, and ball check valves 11 and 12 are located in the casings for the branches 8 and 9 respectively, these valves. being designed to open in an upward direction.

The numeral 13 indicates a water discharge pipe providcd with branches 14: and 15 which lead in opposite directions from the intake end of the pipe 13 and communicate with the chambers 1. and 2 respectively through the bottoms thereof. Ball check valves 16 and 17 are located respectively within the pipes 1 1 and 15 and, as in the case of the valves 11 and 12, are arranged to open in an upward direction.

Steam is generated in and supplied from a suitable steam boiler 18, and for a purpose to be presently explained, a pipe 19 leads from the said boiler near the top thereof and communicates with the chamber 1 near the top wall 4. A manually operable cut-ofi' valve 20 is interposed in the pipe 19. A steam supply pipe 21 also leads from the upper end of the boiler 18 and extends above the condensation chambers 1 and 2. The

nun'ierals and 23 indicate valve chambers which are located one above the other, the.

chamber 23 being uppermost, and the cham ber 22 communicating with the condensation chamber 1 through a port 2% in the top a thereof. A passage 25 establishes communication between the chambers 22 and 23, and the pipe 21 enters one side of this passage and leaves the other side thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. At the upper end of the passage 25 and within the chamber 23 there is provided a valve seat 26, the wall of the port 2 1 constituting a valve seat within the chamber 22. The numeral 27 indicates a manually operable cut-off valve which is interposed in the pipe 21 between the boiler and the passage 25, and the numeral 28 indicates a bypass pipe which leads from the valve chamber 23 through the top 4 of the condensation chamher 1 and communicates with the said chamher.

The numeral 29 indicates a long valve rod which extends at the vertical axis of the condensation chamber 1 and through the port 24 and passage 25, and this valve rod is provided at its upper end, and Within the valve chamber 23, with a ball valve 30 designed to rest upon the seat 26. The upper end portion of the valve rod is threaded, as indicated by the numeral 31, and the ball valve 30 is adjustably threaded on to this portion of the rod. A ball valve 32 is fixed upon the valve rod within the valve chamber 22 and the valve 30 is to be so adjusted that both it and the valve 32 may simultaneously rest upon their respective seats when the valve rod is in a lowered position. For a purpose to be presently explained, an abutment collar 33 is mounted upon the valve rod 29, and a float 34 is also mounted upon the said valve rod below the abutment and is freely movable vertically along the rod so that it may rise and fall with the water level within the condensation cham ber. An abutment collar 35 is also mounted upon thevalve rod and is located below the float 34, and fixed upon the valve rodnear the lower end thereof is a smaller float The elements above described and identified in the drawings by the numerals 22 to 36 inclusive are duplicated in connection with the condensation chamber 2 and .are indicated in such location by corresponding reference numerals primed. However, the valve 27 corresponding; to the valve 27 is interposed in the pipe21 between the passage 25 and the passage 25.

For a purpose to be presently explained, a pipe 37 communicates at one end-with the condensation chamber 1 near the lower end of the latter and is inclined upwardly be tween the chambers 1 and 2 and communicates at its upper end with the upper end of the chamber 2. A cut-ofl valve 38 is inter posed in the pipe preferably near the lower nd thereof, and a ball check valve 39 is also located in. the pipe and preferably near the upper end thereof. Likewise, a pipe -10 conununicates at its lower end with the chamber 2 near the lower end of the latter and at its upper end with the chamber 1 near the upper end of the latter, and a cutoff valve 41 is interposed in the pipe 4l-0 near the lower end thereof and a ball check valve 1-2 is interposed in the pipe near the upper end thereof.

in practice the ports 24 and 24: will be of greater diameter than the respective ports 26 and 23 so that there will be greater pressure exerted by the steam against the valves 32 and 32 in a downward direction than against the valves 30 and 30 in an upward direction. Also in practice the floats 36 and 36 will have a buoyant lifting force slightly less than suflicient to counteract the combined weights of the valves 30 and 32 and stem 29 and valves 30 and 32 and stem 29 respectively.

lhe operation is as follows: In starting the apparatus, the valves 20, 27, 27, 3S and -11 will all be opened so that steai'n will enter the condensation chamber 1 through the pipe 19 and there will then be a complete circulation of steam from this chamber, through the pipe 37, into the condensation chamber 2, and through the pipe 10 back to the condensation chamber 1. V'Jhen the apparatus has become filled with steam, the steam will lift the valves 16 and 17 and will be discharged through the pipe 13, driving out all of the air previously contained in the apparatus. The valves 20, 27, 38 and 4-1 are then closed, the valv 27 being, however, left open. After a few minutes time, the steam will condense and due to the partial vacuum created within the condensation chambers 1 and 2, Water will rush up through the pipe 7 and branches 8 and 9 Steam under pressure will then pass from i the boiler through the pipe 21 and will enter the condensation chamber 1. However, as the valve 27 closed, no steam will pass into the chamber 2 As the steam enters the chamber 1 it will, by reason of its pressure, cause the water which has been trapped in the said chamber, to be forced out through the branch pipe 14. and past the valve 16 and finally through the pipe The float 34 will fall with the water level in the condensation chamber 1 untilthe float strikes the abutment 35 and at such time the valve rod 29 will be moved downwardly thereby seating the valves 30 and 32, the said valve rod and the valves carried thereby having {been up to this time held in elevated position due to the buoyancy of the float 36. Of course, upon closing of the valves 30 and 32, the steam which has entered the chamber 1 will be trapped therein. At this point the valves 27, 38 and 41 are opened manually, and as the valves 30 and 32 have been pre viously raised from their seats by the rise of the float 34 against the abutment 33', steam will enter the condensation chamber 2 through the passage 25 and the valve chamber 22 and port 24 and by its pressure will force the water contained in the chamber 2 from the said chamber through the branch pipe 15 and out through the discharge pipe 13. The valve 41 having been opened, however, a small volume of water will be forced upwardly through the pipe 10 and past the valve 42 and discharged into the upper portion of the condensation chamber 1 thereby condensing the steam trapped in said chamber and again creating a partial vacuum within the chamber causing more water to be raised and trapped therein. Of course, as water is again discharged by steam pressure from the chamber 1, a small volume thereof will be forced upwardly through the pipe 37 and past the valve 39 and into the upper portion of' the condensation chamber 2 for the purpose of condensing the steam which has in the meantime been trapped in said chamber. The operation will then be continuously repeated so as to give a steady discharge of water from the pipe 13. The by-pass pipes 28 and 28 provide for equalization of the steam pres sure within the respective condensation chambers and the respective valve chambers located thereabove.

It will be understood that while the members 36 and 36 have been referred to as floats, these members are not surface floats but serve more specifically as buoyant means for assisting in holding the valves 30 and 32 and 30 and 32, respectively, in open position until the respective floats 34 and 34: have lowered into engagement with the abutments 35 and 35.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In water elevating apparatus, condensation chambers, means for admitting Water to each of said chambers from a source of water supply, a steam supply main communicating with each of said chambers, a valve rod working in each chamber, a valve carried by each rod and controlling the passage of steam from the steam main into the respective chamber, a float freely movable with relation to each valve rod, spaced abutments upon each valve rod in the path of movement of the respective float, a water outlet from each chamber, means for con- (lensing the steam after admission to each chamber, and valved means independent of the main for admitting steam from the source of steam supply directly into one of said condensation chambers.

2. In water elevating apparatus, coudensation chambers, means for admitting water to each of said chambers from a source of Water supply, a steam supply main extending past and communicating with each of said chambers, a valve rod working in each chamber, a valve carried by each r d and controlling the passage of steam from the steam main into the respective chamber, a float freely movable with relation to each valve rod, spaced abutments upon each valve rod in the path of movement of the respective float, a water outlet from each chamber, means for condensing the steam after admission to each chamber, valved means independent of the main' for admitting steam from the source of steam supply directly into one of said condensation chambers, a valve in the supply main between the source of steam supply and the said condensation chamber, and a valve in the supply main between the two condensation chambers.

3. In water elevating apparatus, condensation chambers, means for admitting water thereto from a source of water supply, a water discharge from each condensation chamber, a steam supply main for conducting steam from a source of steam supply to each of said chambers, valve chambers arranged one above another above each of the condensation chambers and both in communication with the steam supply main, a valve rod within each condensation chamber and the respective valve chambers, valves upon each valve rod located each in a respective one of the said valve chambers, spaced abutments upon each valve rod within the respective condensation chamber, a float within each condensation chamber movable with relation to the respective valve rod and in the path of the said abutments, water conducting pipes extending each from the lower portion of one condensation chan'lber to the upper portion of the other comlensation chamber, the ends of said pipes being open and located in the walls of the respective chambers, upwardly opening check valves in said pipes, check valves in the water supply pipes for the said condensation chambers, and a by-pass pipe leading from each condensation chamber to the respective upper one of the valve chambers.

4. In water elevating apparatus, condensation chambers, means for admitting water thereto from a source of water supply, a water discharge from each condensation chamber, a steam supply main for conducting steam from a source of steam supply to each of said chambers, valve chambers ar ranged one above another above each. of the condensation chambers and both in communication with the stean'r supply main, a valve rod within eachcondensation chamber and the respective valve chambe val? S upon each valve rod located each in a respective one of the said valve chai'nbers, spaced abutments upon each valve rod within the respective condensation chamber, a float within each condensation chamber movable with relation to the respc :tive valve rod and in the path of the said abutments, water conducting pipes extending each from the lower portion of one condensation chamber to the upper portion of the other condensation chamber, the ends of said pipes being open and located in the walls of the respective chambers, upwardly opening check valves in said pipes, check valves in the watersupply pipes for the said condensation chambers, and valved means independent of the steam main for conducting steam from the source of steam supply directly into oneo'f said condensation chambers.

5. WVatenelevating apparatus comprising a pair of condensation chambers, a source of steam supply, means for admitting; water into said condensation chambers, means for, permitting the discl'iarge of water from said chambers, a steam main leading from the source of steam supply past both condensation chambers, valve chambers above the re spective condensation chambers in eommunr cation with the steam main, check valves Within said Valve chambers, valve rods carrying said valves and disposed within the respective chambers, floats within the condensation chambers upon the respective valve rods and movable relative to said rods, abutments on said rods" at opposite sides of said floats, a buoyant sustaining member secured upon the lower end of each valve rod, pipes each connecting the lower end of one condensation chamber with the upper end of the other condensation chamber, cut-elf valves in the steam main and in the lower ends of the said pipes, and check valves in the upper ends of said pipes.

6; Water elevating; apparatus comprising a pair of condensation chambers, a source of steam supply, means for admitting water into the lower end of each chamber, means for permitting discharge of water from the chambers, a steam main leading from the source of steam supply past both 1condensation chambers, valve chambers on the upper ends ot the condensation chambers and in connnunication with said chambers through the upper ends thereof, vertically spaced valve seats in said valve chan'ibers, by-pass pipes leading: from the upper end of the respective condensation chambers into the upper end of the valve chambers locatedthercon, said valve chambers beingin communication intcrmediate their ends with the steam main, valve rods disposed axially in. the condensation chambers and extendingupwardly I into the said valve chambers, valves on said rods withiirt-he valve chan'ibers above and below the steam'main, spaced abutments on the valve rods within the condensation chambers, floats mounted upon the valve rods between the abutments and movable freely on the rods, buoyant sustaining members secured on the lower ends of the valve rods, water-conducting pipes disposed between the condensation chambers and each having its lower end located in the Wall of one condensation chamber and its upper end located in the wallet the other condensation chamber whereby the lower portion of each chamber will be connected with the upper portion of the other chamber, cut-oil? valves in the lower ends o'f said pipes, upwardly opening check valves inthe upper ends thereof, cut-ofi valves in the steam mainadjacent each valve chamber and between said chamber and the source of steam supply, a steam conducting pipe leading from the source of steam supply directly into one of the condensation chambers, and a. cut-off valve in said steam conducting pipe. In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

JAMES K. DE VORE. -[L.s.-]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

